RECOLLECTION

Chester Hill 1988

STRANGE SIGHTS IN NEW GUINEA WATERS

We were swinging from the hook off the famous beach at Buna, not very long after we had arrived in those waters. The crew of the gig and I had just come alongside to port after a trip over to Admiral Barbey’s flagship, the Blue Ridge, and were tying up by the sea ladder. We felt the boat surge quickly to starboard against the sea ladder. The sea was quite calm, so we immediately looked over our port gunwale to see what was bumping us against the ladder. There it was – a monster of the deep if there ever was one! Its rounded back was well over a foot out of the water – a dark grayish green, with scores of round light gray spots the size of silver dollars or larger. Impulsively I reached over the side and patted him/ her? / on the back just so I could relate in later years that I had done so to whatever it was! I then skedaddled up the ladder and looked back down. It was just lying there gently scratching his back against the whaleboat – not really bothering anybody. His head, which looked something like a catfish’s, and tail each extended about eight or nine feet beyond the boat’s 26 foot length. I had a sudden impulse to shoot him, but was then glad I didn’t have my 45 with me as he swan slowly away. I told my tale to several disbeliveers in the wardroom before finding out in the encyclopedia that it was without question a rare whale shark – the largest fish in the sea! The gig crew and the gangway watch and I were the only ones that saw him.

One night we were steaming south through the Solomon Sea maybe about east of Morose, heading, my memory tells me, for Miline Bay to get a dented screw replaced. Its fully dark, probably about 2130, plenty of water, seas about three to four feet, starlight but no moon. A lookout spotted what looked to all of us on watch like BREAKERS AHEAD! Not very close, but I slowed her and called the Exec/Navigator. I believe he called the Captain. We confirmed our position very carefully and moved on very slowly. You have probably guessed it by now. Yes, phosphorescence, with which we were all familiar. However, this was not the familiar kind caused by wakes, fast fishes, or other turbulence, as it was a glowing, pulsating bright glow coming from deep beneath the surface. Plankton, without question. As we steamed through the area I took some fine print from the pilot house out on the wing of the bridge and could read it quite easily!

R-104